Uncertain Faith

Finding the courgage to live with uncertainity

Precious Pearls

Butch Rogers

20 Sep, 2016

In a recent conversation a friend said to me, “I done being Mr. Nice Guy”. He went on to describe a falling out he had with a person. My friend is feeling the pain of a broken relationship which is all too familiar. I know my friend, and he is not done being Mr. Nice Guy, because that's who he is. I think what he is saying is more along the lines of, “I’m done putting myself out there for people who only care about themselves, and who never give anything back”.

It is wise to be discriminatory in choosing who we give ourselves to, because what we are giving away is precious and limited. Jesus described it as pearls and he advised not giving our pearls away to people who will trample them. What are these pearls? It’s the precious and rare jewels we have to offer; love, mercy, compassion, grace, joy, and sorrow. We give and receive these pearls. Giving away our pearls brings joy, while selfishly holding on to them causes us to become miserly and cold. If we give away our pearls, they have to be replenished or we will run out. The pearls are replenished when we receive them back from other people who freely give with no strings attached.

We must withhold our pearls from some people. Doing so will enable us to have enough to give away to those who will receive them with humility and joy. Once pearls are trampled on, they cannot be passed on. Be careful who you give your pearls to.